Every so often we receive communication from former students and parents of students. It is nice to hear how they are doing and what they are up to. I recently received a letter from a parent whose daughter had returned home seven weeks ago. The parent was giving us an update and had this to say about his daughter, who I will call Julia. He wrote: “As of today, Julia has been home for 7 weeks. To date, we have had no ‘volcanic behavioral eruptions.’ Whenever Julia has been anywhere close to a meltdown, she draws upon the coping skills learned at CALO, which certainly includes spending time with her dog, Anya. We continue regular therapy with Diana Giest, the wonderful attachment therapist you met during her visit to CALO last summer, which has been helpful. Ken, it’s difficult to put into words how much it means to Mom and Dad to not have to be ‘hypervigilent’ in our parenting, to protect Julia from poor choices. At this time of year especially, we are thankful to you and your colleagues at CALO for their help and support. You do amazing work!”

That letter alone was quite kind and I am grateful for this parent’s words. That parent then sent a handwritten note from Julia. Here is that letter. Just click on the pdf below:

student EK letter.pdf (1.00 mb)

This was a “payday” letter and the reason we do what we do at CALO. Just wanted to share it with you.

Parents/Guardians often begin their association with Calo by asking the therapist what to expect as far as therapy for their child.  The response usually catches them slightly by surprise and creates a curious but extremely interested look.  The therapist will let them know that they are embarking on a journey which will focus on the family’s development and the opportunity to create incredibly unique and caring relationships. The therapist will further emphasize how the journey, fraught with its difficulties, joys, ups and down, should develop significant bonds between them.  It is clarified in this response that the parent’s/guardians should expect to experience growth of their own and will engage in therapeutic opportunities which will challenge them and produce rewarding change in their lives. 

Just as the student enters into treatment with the apprehension of the unknown, so too does the parents/guardians, though relieved to feel the security of their child being physically safe, become keenly aware that they are entering into a unique and unknown relationship with the therapist. The Calo therapist enters into this relationship knowing that the parents/guardians are experiencing tremendous emotional and physical difficulties and require the same genuine care, attunement, empathy, and connection that child receives.  The primary care givers experience these essential relational elements as a necessary part of their experience (with therapist) in creating healing and security with their child.  This process becomes the foundation from which the building blocks of therapy and change begin to be established.  More...